Wire-stretcher



'UNHTED States arena? Fries;

HENRY H. HUTOHlNS, OF FENNVILLE, MICHIGAN.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 253,058, dated January31, 18E2.

' Application filed December 10, 1881. (Model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY H. HUTCIIINS, of Fennville, in the county ofAllegan and State of Michigan, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Wire-Stretchers, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description.

My invention consists of a hooked bar or plate carrying pivoted jawsatits hooked end,

and provided near its center with athooked lever provided with a pawlfor securing the device to the fence-post, and carrying at its straightend a clamping device for retaining the wire while a hold is being takenwith the jaws, a suitable guide being provided for guiding the wire toand through the clamping device.

The invention also consists of the details of construction and thecombination of parts, all

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved wirestretcher as it appears whenapplied for use.

Fig.2 is a side elevation, partly in section. Fig. 3 is an endelevation, showing the clamping device; and Fig. 4 is an edge view ofthe jaws for stretching the wire.

A represents the main bar or plate, which is formed at one end with thepointed hook I), and 'is provided at the straight end with thebellmouthed or hopper shaped guide B. The hooked end of the bar or plateis formed with the lugs c 0, between which the link a is pivoted, andthe jaws or stretching-levers G G are hinged or pivotedto this link.Thejaw or lever 0 is made larger than the lever O, and 0 the extendedportion is flattened to form the vertical fiange'or plate d, and thelever G is pivoted to this flange by the pivot c, as shown clearly inFigs. 1 and 4, and the jaws thus secured together are pivoted to thelink a, as 4 5 above mentioned, by the pivot a passing through thisvertical flange. The faces of the jaws or levers, where they cometogether for grasping the wire, are creased or serrated, as clearlyshown in Fig. 4. Near the center of the length of the bar or plate A thesame is formed with the slot f, through which the hooked lover D passes,as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

The upper or outer edge of the main bar or plate is formed with theseries of teeth 6, with which the pawl F,which ispivoted to the hookedlever D, engages for holding the lever back when it is drawn toward thestraight end of the main bar or plate, for embedding its point and thepoint of the main bar or plate in the post for securing the device inposition for use. The two sides of the main bar or plate arecorrespondingly perforated with the holes ifor the passage of the bolt1, for adjusting the hooked lever D different distances away from thehook I) of the main bar or plate to suit posts of different sizes.

The diagonal plates 0 and q of the hoppershaped guide reach past theedges of the eccentric H, as clearly shown in Fig.3,aud form a narrowthroat or passage for the wire, so

there will be no danger of the barbs catching over the edges of theeccentric while the inner edge of the diagonal platep of the guide isflush with the bed-plate a of the guide. The plate 0 is extended,asshownat gin Figs.2 and 3, above the plate q, and this extended portion isprovided with the arm or shaft h, upon which the said eccentric H isplaced. The eccentric is formed with the handle j, and is held forwardby the spring is, which is placed upon the arm or shaft h and woundaround the handle, as shown. The face of the cam is provided with thesteel plate l, which is roughened, and which comes in contact with theroughened steel plate a, placed upon the bedplate a of the guide, sothat when the wire is passed between these two plates it will be firmlyheld by the eccentric while a new hold is being taken upon the wire bythe jaws or levers.

In use the stretcher is first to be placedin a horizontal positionagainst the post, with its straight end toward the direction from. whichthe wireis to be stretched, and secured to the post by forciblydrawiugback upon the hooked lever D, which embeds its point and that ofthe main plate or bar into the post, in which position they will be heldby the pawl F. The wire to be stretched is first to be placedin theguide, which is done by lifting the eccentric and passing the wire overthe edge of the distood.

To remove the stretcher after the wire has been stretched and secured tothe postitis only necessary to lift the pawl F and turn the eecentric Hby the handle j and pass the wire from under the eccentric over theshort or narrow plate q of the guide.

The guide B is secured to themain bar Aby means of the pin m, as clearlyshown in Figs. 1 and 2, sothat the guide can be removed and replaced ina reverse position when itisdesired to draw the wire from the oppositedirection.

By this construction it will be seen that the device is easily andquickly attached to and detached from the wire and post and easilyhandled, and that thejaws G O furnish a long purchase for drawing thewire with greatforce.

Having thus described myinvention,I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent- 1. The hooked plate or bar A, in combination with thelevers or jaws O 0, guide B, hooked lever D, and eccentric H,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The hooked plate or bar A, formed with the lugs c c, in combinationwith the pivoted link a and the leversO C, pivoted thereto,substantially as described.

3. The hooked bar or plate A, formed with the slotf, in combination withthe hooked lever 1), provided with pawl F, the plate being formed withthe notches e, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In combination with the plate or bar A, the eccentric H and thehoppershaped guide B, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. The guide B, formed of thediagonal plates 0,11, and q, and thebed-plate n, the plate obeing extended above the plate q, and carryingthceccentrie H, in combination with the main bar or plate A,substantially as described.

6. The eoinbination,with theeccentric H, of 0 thediugonal plates 0 q,reaching past the edges of the said eccentric, substantially as shownand described, whereby a narrow throat or passage is formed and thedanger of the barbs catching over the edges of the eccentric avoided, asset forth.

7. The guide B, secured to the bar or plate A by means of the bolt orpin m, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

HENRY H. HUTGHINS.

Witnesses:

801.0 0. KEMoN, AMOS W. HART.

